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Journal of Bacteriology, October 2006, p. 6915-6923, Vol. 188, No. 19
0021-9193/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00527-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Flagella of Pyrococcus furiosus: Multifunctional Organelles, Made for Swimming, Adhesion to Various Surfaces, and Cell-Cell Contacts{dagger}

Daniela J. Näther,1 Reinhard Rachel,1 Gerhard Wanner,2 and Reinhard Wirth1*

Lehrstuhl für Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg,1 Institute for Botany, University of Munich, Menzinger Straße 68, D-80638 München, Germany2

Received 13 April 2006/ Accepted 18 July 2006

Pyrococcus furiosus ("rushing fireball") was named for the ability of this archaeal coccus to rapidly swim at its optimal growth temperature, around 100°C. Early electron microscopic studies identified up to 50 cell surface appendages originating from one pole of the coccus, which have been called flagella. We have analyzed these putative motility organelles and found them to be composed primarily (>95%) of a glycoprotein that is homologous to flagellins from other archaea. Using various electron microscopic techniques, we found that these flagella can aggregate into cable-like structures, forming cell-cell connections between ca. 5% of all cells during stationary growth phase. P. furiosus cells could adhere via their flagella to carbon-coated gold grids used for electron microscopic analyses, to sand grains collected from the original habitat (Porto di Levante, Vulcano, Italy), and to various other surfaces. P. furiosus grew on surfaces in biofilm-like structures, forming microcolonies with cells interconnected by flagella and adhering to the solid supports. Therefore, we concluded that P. furiosus probably uses flagella for swimming but that the cell surface appendages also enable this archaeon to form cable-like cell-cell connections and to adhere to solid surfaces.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Universität Regensburg, Mikrobiologie-NWF III, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany. Phone: 49-941-943-1825. Fax: 49-941-943-1824. E-mail: Reinhard.Wirth{at}biologie.uni-r.de.

{dagger} Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://jb.asm.org/.

Journal of Bacteriology, October 2006, p. 6915-6923, Vol. 188, No. 19
0021-9193/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00527-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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